Seduced by the Billionaire Read online

  Although she no longer had any intention of having anything to do with NOCO, she could tell Nick Henderson wasn’t a guy who’d take no for an answer. Feeling as though she’d always be on the back foot with him—afraid she’d blurt out what she knew about him—she’d have to persuade him he needed to deal with her agent. ‘I doubt I can be involved but perhaps you could discuss the documentary proposal further with Rose.’

  ‘You and I could discuss it over dinner, Sarah,’ Nick put in smoothly.

  When hell freezes over.

  ‘No.’ Sarah’s voice was uncharacteristically sharp. ‘I have plans tonight.’

  It was true, but the words of rejection fired out so rapidly Rose, Jocelyn and Nick all stared at her in question and she felt the heat of embarrassment stain her cheeks.

  Please someone wake me up from this very bad dream.

  Although there were miniscule lines around his eyes from where they’d narrowed, he obviously had the hide of a rhinoceros because he wasn’t deterred. ‘Tomorrow night?’

  Sarah tried to smile politely. She tried hard but was certain it ended up being a tight pull of her lips that probably looked more like a grimace. ‘I’m only in London for a week. I’m afraid all my time is accounted for. Thank you both for being here today and supporting the Extend Foundation. Now, you’ll need to excuse me because I’d like to thank the other guests for their support.’ With a cool nod to Nick and a warmer smile to Jocelyn, Sarah turned and forced herself to walk towards another group of VIPs.

  She’d done it.

  She’d closed the conversation and was moving out of Nick Henderson’s force field—or so she thought.

  Unfortunately she’d no sooner congratulated herself and taken a few more steps away from the trio when a hand on her arm stopped her from proceeding any further.

  There was no need to turn to see who’d stopped her. The way his touch blazed through her whole arm gave his identity away. Besides, she knew intuitively that he’d be the only one with the arrogance and audacity to detain her.

  She turned slowly and tried to deliver a haughty dismissal as she looked from his hand on her arm up to his eyes and back down again.

  Fury suppressed fear because she had a flashback to the way he’d steered Crystal down the corridor of the yacht and virtually pushed her into the stateroom.

  ‘I asked you to excuse me, Mr Henderson.’ The words were so cold it was a wonder he didn’t release her arm immediately to tend to frostbite.

  His lips thinned. ‘No point in trying to couch it in polite terms, Miss Bryant. I’m aware I was summarily dismissed. You’ve obviously got no intention of doing the documentary.’

  As much as she wanted to rail at him and tell him she’d been on the yacht and what he’d done made her sick, she knew she couldn’t cause a public spectacle or give herself away.

  ‘I told you, I’m busy.’ Again she glanced pointedly at his hand on her arm.

  He let go and she barely refrained from rubbing at the spot where he’d touched.

  ‘Jocelyn said you were interested in making the documentary. Why the sudden change of heart?’

  ‘I didn’t say I wasn’t interested.’ Each word was clipped and frosty. ‘I merely pointed out that my schedule makes it impossible.’

  ‘That surprised your agent.’

  ‘Leave it, Mr Henderson.’

  ‘Are you this rude to everyone or am I special?’

  ‘Definitely not the latter.’ She instantly regretted the caustic reply which was so out-of-character for her, but then she drew her shoulders back a little more because it was true he wasn’t special. He was an amazingly good-looking, sexy as sin creep.

  He folded his arms across his chest and surprised her with his next bald statement. ‘You couldn’t make it any more obvious that you don’t like me.’

  I hate you.

  Her gaze skittered away from his. ‘I don’t know you.’

  ‘Something we could remedy.’

  ‘No.’

  He rubbed his fingers along his jaw. ‘I don’t understand your antipathy. We definitely haven’t crossed swords before over anything.’

  Oh geez. Now she’d done it. ‘We haven’t met.’

  ‘Yet you’ve looked at me with complete disdain three times.’

  ‘That’s not—’

  ‘I’m guessing I must remind you of someone.’

  ‘No.’

  ‘An ex-lover perhaps or someone who’s treated you poorly?’

  ‘No,’ she insisted.

  ‘You’re angry on behalf of a friend I’ve turned down? Is that what this is all about?’

  There was no stopping the scornful, scoffing sound that forced its way out of her mouth. ‘Wow. You really have tickets on yourself, Mr Henderson.’

  ‘No.’ He shook his head adamantly. ‘But there are women who haven’t taken rejection well.’

  Why did you reject them? Because they were willing and you prefer to use force?

  ‘I’m trying to work out where all your dislike comes from because it feels intense and personal.’ The bastard was genuinely perplexed. ‘I’m exhausting all possibilities but still drawing a blank.’

  ‘We’ve never met. I’m quite sure I’ve never seen anyone who resembles you. I most definitely don’t know anyone you’ve rejected.’ Quite the opposite. She knew someone who’d been frantic to reject him but hadn’t been strong enough to do it. ‘Now—’

  ‘Then you maintain that refusing to work on this project isn’t personal?’

  ‘Credit me with some professionalism,’ she prevaricated.

  ‘Credit me with some insight. It sure as hell feels like you’ve got something against me and I’m at a loss to know what it could possibly be.’

  Arrogant son of a bitch. ‘What part of I’m too busy don’t you understand?’

  ‘For someone who told my sister you were interested in ocean conservation I don’t understand that you’re too busy to do something about an issue that’s vital to life on our planet.’

  Sarah wanted to kick him.

  Realising her fingers had curled into fists at her side she uncurled them very slowly.

  ‘Do you really care about ocean conservation, Sarah?’

  ‘Of course I do.’

  ‘Then, here’s your chance to do something to help.’

  ‘I’ve donated money but I don’t have any spare time.’

  ‘Really? Is that true or are you trying to make it sound like you have an interest in something other than making a fortune out of posing in front of a camera in high-end clothing?’

  Sarah’s gasp of outrage was audible. ‘Of all the rude, conceited individuals I’ve met, you—’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ he said immediately, but his tone didn’t strike her as apologetic. ‘It’s no excuse but I’m aggravated I can’t figure you out.’

  Sarah continued to glare at him. ‘You’re a man used to getting your own way. I won’t be manipulated or bullied, Mr Henderson. You will never exert your will over me.’

  His eyes widened and she realised she hadn’t held back any of her personal animosity. Her loathing was all too obvious in her disdainful tone.

  ‘I don’t manipulate or bully.’

  Liar.

  ‘As beautiful as you are, appearances don’t cut it with me if manners are lacking and I’ve never encountered anyone with such bristling and unprovoked hostility.’

  ‘I wasn’t the one using brute force to detain someone,’ she threw at him. Okay he hadn’t used brute force to halt her in her tracks but those words applied to the force he’d used on Crystal. ‘You call that manners?’

  ‘Quit the games. Why don’t you just tell me what it is you have against me and get it off your chest?’

  Oh, it was such a shame she couldn’t let fly at him. ‘You’re incredibly conceited.’

  ‘Ocean conservation is more important than you or me so I’m going to disregard your haughty attitude for the sake of the greater good.’

  ‘So nobl
e of you!’ Inwardly she fumed. How dare he get on his moral high horse when she knew exactly what he’d done years ago.

  Ignoring her remark he continued. ‘Oceans cover seventy-one percent of the globe and humans are destroying marine ecosystems which play a key role in regulating our climate and absorbing carbon dioxide.’ He raised his hands palms up in a gesture of entreaty. ‘I’m not going to get on a soapbox now, but it’s so important to everyone on the planet, I ask that you don’t dismiss this without thinking about it.’

  Huh! He thought she was ignorant?

  She tilted her chin up a fraction to better meet his gaze. ‘You’re preaching to the converted. I understand the importance of marine conservation. I know many marine species are facing extinction and I know about the need to take care of our oceans so the ecosystems will not only thrive but will also provide food for generations to come.’

  His eyes widened. ‘You’re right. The foundation has already earmarked some funds for research and has started agitating for policy changes at a multitude of political levels around the globe.’

  Sarah squashed down the admiration that flared as she listened to his conviction and what he and his friends had set out to achieve. Whatever good he was doing publicly didn’t make up for his behaviour when he thought the world wasn’t watching. For all she knew this advocacy on his part may be a deliberate attempt to gain some high-profile public respectability to hide his private sins.

  The part of her that railed at his condemnation that she was some sort of empty-headed clothing mannequin made her say, ‘You need to prioritise the introduction of stringent fishing quotas all over the world, introduce harsh penalties for those who exceed the quotas and work on reducing the production and use of the plastics that end up polluting our waterways and oceans.’

  The light of respect in his blue eyes was the first positive reaction she’d seen from him since he’d stalked after her. ‘I’m impressed you know about this and I can assure you we’ve employed people who are already working towards those goals.’

  Sarah cursed inwardly because she was damned well starting to glow in the face of his praise.

  I neither need nor want this man’s approval.

  Drawing herself up to her full height and summoning every ounce of assertiveness she had, she pitched her voice several degrees cooler. ‘I applaud the work of NOCO and I’ve already donated to your organisation, Mr Henderson, but I’m a model not a reporter. Allow me to do my job—the work I have scheduled in my calendar. I’m sure you’ll find someone better suited to the role you need.’

  She took a step to go around him and he blocked her path with his broad-shouldered body.

  ‘Your job is marketing,’ he insisted. ‘It doesn’t matter that you’re not a reporter. You already appear to have an informed and passionate interest in this area which means you’ll market it very effectively.’

  Instead of insisting on bringing the conversation to an end she found herself asking, ‘You couldn’t possibly have known of my personal interest in ocean conservation so why did you choose me for this project?’

  His lips formed a rueful smile. ‘We employed a market researcher.’ His hands moved expressively as he spoke, drawing her attention to them—making her aware of how large they were and how much strength they seemed to possess.

  Strength he’d used to detain her.

  Strength he’d used to dominate Crystal.

  ‘You were one of four high-profile people recommended—one of the four people in the world that the public wants more of and who’ll be most likely to draw global attention to our campaign,’ he explained.

  ‘I’m afraid you’ll have to focus your attention on signing up the other three people.’ And she needed to stop focusing on the sensual shape of his mouth as he spoke.

  ‘Already done.’

  Why didn’t that surprise her? The man who stood before her didn’t baulk at obstacles. She’d witnessed his refusal to take no for an answer and she could feel him willing her to accept his proposal.

  No way.

  ‘I’m being completely honest with you when I tell you I haven’t any spare time while I’m in London. Good luck with your project, Mr Henderson.’

  This time he didn’t try to stop her as she walked away but she caught his final words. ‘Hopefully next time I’ll catch you on a better day.’

  Sarah gritted her back teeth together as her resentment of him reached new peaks. Of all the condescending, arrogant …

  Don’t even go there. There simply aren’t enough negative words in the dictionary for men of his ilk.

  She’d make damned sure he never caught her again. This was the first and last time they’d ever speak.

  But she was even angrier because it would’ve been incredibly special to work on this project to highlight the need for ocean conservation. It would’ve been a link to her parents too.

  Damn the man to hell. She only hoped her refusal to dine with him didn’t affect her deal with his sister.

  Oh Lord! She should’ve curbed her reactions to him. She should’ve been politely indifferent because her responses to him had most likely been like waving a red flag at a bull.

  Stifling a groan she could only hope he’d let it go and wouldn’t be such a complete egomaniac that he’d have to try to assert his will at all costs in order to win her over and bend her to do his bidding.

  Chapter 4

  That evening, Sarah was number twenty in a line-up of thirty-five celebrities—all single men and women—who’d agreed to be auctioned off as a dinner date for the Leukaemia Foundation. For Sarah it’d been a case of having been pressured to participate in the event by Rose.

  While she wanted to support the charity, she hated the prospect of being put on public display in this way. Rose, however, had insisted it’d be a fabulous PR opportunity.

  So, here she was joining a long line of A-listers—pop stars, actors, sports stars and even a famous business entrepreneur. Once again she’d noted the most direct route to every exit in the building and was trying to psyche herself up to face the crowd.

  ‘How are you feeling, sweetie?’ Rose asked her quietly.

  ‘I’ll be pleased when tonight is over.’

  ‘You’ll be fine. Just think of the money you’re raising and the good it’s doing your public image.’ Rose gave Sarah a small pat on the shoulder. ‘Er … There’s something I think you should know.’

  The warning in her agent’s tone had Sarah bracing herself but when Rose took her by the hand and led her to a very secluded spot Sarah’s nerves really stretched taut.

  In hushed tones Rose said, ‘I heard yesterday that another model has been asked to take your place at Eduardo’s fashion shoot in Morocco.’

  A surge of bitterness shot through Sarah’s veins. The cancellation of her contracts with Eduardo and Manuel was so unfair. Pretending indifference she said, ‘That was to be expected. Who’s replacing me?’

  ‘Maeve Simpson.’

  When Rose named the second most highly paid model in the fashion industry, tension invaded the muscles along Sarah’s shoulders but she injected lightness into her tone. ‘I guess it makes sense for Eduardo to use her.’

  ‘I think it’s rather suspect,’ Rose whispered. ‘You get fired and she’s right there to step into your shoes.’

  Sarah’s left temple began to ache with distress. ‘Maeve being awarded the contract doesn’t prove that she was the one who got me fired. We know she’s the second most sought after model in the world. If I retired tomorrow, she’d be number one.’

  ‘Sarah—’

  ‘No, Rose. Assuming Maeve set me up is just as bad as Eduardo convicting me on circumstantial evidence. There’s no proof and although I know you’ve always thought she’s jealous of me, I’ve never seen it.’ Sarah looked around to make certain nobody could overhear their conversation. Outside their modelling, Sarah and Maeve had little in common; Maeve threw extravagant parties in whatever city she was in, while Sarah went to bed with
a good book. But, despite their differences, there’d never been any hostility between them.

  ‘Maeve had motive and opportunity to plant that jewellery in your handbag,’ Rose said firmly.

  Sarah ran her hands over her face. ‘I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even want to think about it. It’s over. I need to get on with my life and put it all behind me.’

  ‘If I don’t get you that contract with Jocelyn tomorrow, Maeve will start to out-earn and out-rank you.’

  ‘I don’t care about the ranking, Rose.’ But she did care about the loss of income and she cared that her reputation was in tatters as far as Eduardo and Manuel were concerned.

  ‘You should care about the ranking—it’s what allows you to command the top income.’

  ‘It’s pointless talking about it anymore.’ The false accusations made against her still ate into Sarah like acid. Rose had assured her that if she took action to clear her name, it would merely bring the whole sordid incident to public attention. Rose had insisted it was more prudent for Sarah to cut her losses and walk away than to try to prove her innocence. There’d been no hard evidence against Maeve or anyone else and because Sarah had wanted to spare Ryan the stress of the scandal, she’d ended up agreeing to go quietly. As much as she said she didn’t want to talk about it, she vented, ‘I’m still gutted that Eduardo didn’t believe in me.’

  ‘In his eyes you were caught red-handed in a scenario that could’ve had both you and him thrown into a Russian prison. I don’t believe he was thinking beyond that very real possibility.’

  Sarah’s worried frown only increased the ache in her temple. She raised the palm of her hand to soothe over her forehead as she wondered aloud, ‘Can we trust them not to whisper to anyone that they suspected me of attempted robbery?’

  ‘They don’t want word of the incident to get out any more than we do because Eduardo had guaranteed the security of that jewellery. It would reflect badly on him if it came out that you almost carried that brooch out of the building. The Russians would never forgive Eduardo and he’d probably be banned from doing any further photo shoots in the country.’